Reducing Water Consumption on StFX Campus Through Water Recycling & Low-Flow Alternatives A Proposal by Megan Fudge, Ross Walker, Andrew Nicholson, Michelle Coleman, & Brent Doiron

Project Overview Background Information Statement of Problem Water is a precious resource Only 3% of the earth’s water is fresh In 2017, 180+ million litres of water used by StFX campus [2] Needs to be protected and conserved StFX Campus Currently: Dual-flush toilets- Schwartz School of Business Low flow toilets- Mount Saint Bernard, Riley and O’Regan Some compressors for cooling the steam boilers were changed from water cooled to air cooled

Project Overview Background Information cont... 2014 Energy Audit ( Siemens) [4] Areas for improvement Low flow toilets Gravity urinal alternatives Faucet aerators Other Universities Sacramento State University [7] Faucet aerators - sinks Monmouth University - Shower aerators [8] University of British Columbia [6] Harvests rainwater - irrigation and other purposes. UBC Rainwater system- Thomas Industry Update [1]

Technical Approach Identified Needs & Changes Step have already been taken Significant amount of water still wasted on campus Project Components Aerated shower heads and faucets Low flow toilets Greywater collection system Replacement of water cooled compressors Objective - Reduce campus water consumption

Kitchen Faucet Aerator (2018) [3] Showers Install faucet aerators on all shower heads How it Works Mixes air with the water flowing through the faucet Decreases the volume of water flow Perceived pressure stays the same Decreases flow from 9.5 L/min to 5.7 L/min Reduces shower head water consumption by 40%. [4] Kitchen Faucet Aerator (2018) [3]

Retrofitting Low-Flow Toilets Toilets: 40% residential water consumption (CMHC, [10]) Traditional: 11-22L/flush Low-flow: ~4.8 L/flush Savings Water savings: 56-78% 1 050 toilets on campus, ~800 to be replaced ~$500/toilet ~$400 000 total cost

Gravity tank urinals in JBB (Ross Walker, 2018)

Gravity-Fed Urinals 24/7 continuous flow Constant “flushing” state 24% (3 250 000 L) of James Bruce Brown’s water consumption Each using 2 226 L/day 2nd biggest water consumer StFX environment Defined peak usage times Siemens Energy Audit (2014), [4]

Low-Flow, Manual-Flush Urinals Moving Forward Flush only when used Significant water savings Cost beneficial Moving Forward Deeper examination of tradeoff between gravity-fed and low-flow urinals. Find out more about implementation locations for toilets for more solid numbers.

Grey Water Collection How it Works Collection of wastewater Sinks, showers, toilets, etc. Filtration system Water is recycled into toilets and urinals Application Installed in one or multiple buildings Practical - Reuse in same building as collection Avoid extra cost of piping/transportation Limitations Water cannot be used for consumption or washing Filtration does not make the water potable Low Energy House (2018) [5]

Cooling System Replacement Physical Plant Building Steam Boilers Source of heat for majority of buildings Located in Physical Plant building Steam generated and pumped through pipes Current Cooling Method Compressors - two use water as coolant Once through to drain Water at low temperature is pumped into the compressor to cool the boiler Alternative Air cooled compressors Eliminate need for water - reduce consumption UN Water Conference (2014) [9]

Cooling System Replacement J. Bruce Brown (JBB) Building Current Method Eight water cooled growth chambers used in air conditioning units Once through to drain - large water consumption 26% of all water consumption for the building Approx. 3,500,000 liters of water used per year Alternatives Air cooled condenser units Eliminate water being used in the current chambers Water pumped to storage tank Cooled, recycled, etc.

Financial Considerations Produces savings of multiple types Financial - reduced usage of resources Fuel and Water low flow toilets and faucet aerators Main goal - water conservation and decreased environmental impact Savings - recover capital cost of installation & fund further initiatives

Sample Calculation Aerated Shower Heads Above: Estimate of cost savings based on average shower length and other figures provided by Facilities Management [2].

Greywater Collection System New piping/infrastructure (store, treat, and transport) Individual buildings - more cost efficient Initial cost funded through the savings produced in other components Cooler Replacement Decreased water usage Water cost savings - higher electric bill Net low savings Low Flow Toilets Similar to shower savings Due to reduced water usage

Project Management Timeline February 12th-16th – Visit Campus Power Plant, JBB Water Cooled Air-Conditioners February 21st – Data Collection Complete March 2nd – Data Analysis Complete March 9th – Progress Report Complete March 16th – Preliminary Design and Implementation Plan March 19th – Progress Update Complete March 26th – Design Phase Complete March 26th – Implementation Plan Complete March 31st – Prototype/ Model Complete April 2nd – Final Presentation April 9th – Final Report Complete

Project Management Impacts Financial Money saved due to reductions Opportunity to reinvest into further initiatives Social/Societal Effect on users/students/etc and Campus in general Highly regarded by the general public Low flow toilets and shower heads: Known to cause occasional issues Where implemented on campus already - no issues have been reported. [2]

Project Management Impacts Environmental Conservation - positive environmental impact Water is a precious resource Fuel usage (heating requirements) Importance of environmentally conscious initiatives

Thanks for your attention! Any Questions?

References [1] Bredenberg, Al. “University of British Columbia Claims Credit for 'North America's Greenest Building'.” University of British Columbia Claims Credit for 'North America's Greenest Building', 5 Dec. 2011, news.thomasnet.com/imt/2011/12/05/university-of-british-columbia-claims-credit-for-north-americas-greenest-building. [2] Facilities Management [3] Kitchen Faucet Aerator (2018) [4] Siemens Energy Audit (2014) [5] “Low Energy House - Grey Water Systems - Water Collection.” Low Energy House - Grey Water Systems - Water Collection, 2017, www.lowenergyhouse.com/grey-water-systems.html. [6] “WATER ACTION PLAN.” Water Action Plan, 2015, sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/water/water-action-plan. [7] “Sacramento State.” Our Water Conservation Efforts - Plumbing, 2017, www.csus.edu/aba/sustainability/water-conservation-efforts/plumbing.html. [8 ]“About Monmouth.” Monmouth University, 2017, www.monmouth.edu/university/water-conservation.aspx. [9] Delgado, Anna. “Understanding the Water Requirements of the Power Sector.” World Bank. www.slideshare.net/WaterforLife/14-01-2014annadelgadotechnicalissueswbsession. [10] "Dual Flush Toilets." CMHC. April 14, 2015. Accessed April 06, 2017. https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/sufepr/sufepr_004.cfm.